The Fiat Croma has been awarded the highly prized 5-star rating for adult occupancy protection in Euro NCAP crash testing. It is an important kudos for the Croma to achieve, especially in its class, the 'large family car' category.

Today, more than ever before, safety really sells cars. For car buyers it is a key element of their purchasing decision," say Euro NCAP. "It's essential that motoring consumers can obtain reliable and accurate comparative information regarding the safety performance of individual car models. By law, all new car models must pass certain safety tests before they are sold. But legislation provides a minimum statutory standard of safety for new cars, it is the aim of Euro NCAP to encourage manufacturers to exceed these minimum requirements."

The frontal impact test is based on that developed by European Enhanced Vehicle-safety Committee as basis for legislation, but with the impact speed increased by 8 km/h. Side impact testing takes place at 50km/h when a trolley fitted with a deformable front is towed into the driver's side of the car to simulate a side-on crash. A series of tests are then carried out to replicate accidents involving child and adult pedestrians where impacts occur at 40km/h. Impact sites are then assessed and rated fair, weak and poor. As with the other tests, these are based on European Enhanced Vehicle-safety Committee guidelines. Accident patterns vary from country to country within Europe, but approximately a quarter of all serious-to-fatal injuries happen in side impact collisions. Many of these injuries occur when one car runs into the side of another.
 

To encourage manufacturers to fit head protection devices, an optional pole or head protection test may be performed, where such safety features are fitted. Side impact head airbags help to protect the head by providing a padding effect and by preventing the head from passing through the window opening. In the test, the car tested is propelled sideways at 29kph(18mph) into a rigid pole. The pole is relatively narrow, so there is major penetration into the side of the car.

On its way to claiming the prestigious 5-star adult occupancy crash test rating, the Croma scored 15 points (92 percent) in the frontal impact test, 18 points (97 pct) for side impact reaction and 2 points for the seatbelt reminder, giving the Giorgetto Giugiaro-styled 'family' station wagon a total of 34 points. It also was awarded 4-stars for child occupancy protection (39 points) and 1-star for pedestrian protection, after taking a 17 pct score (6 pts) in this category.

The Croma comes fitted with dual-stage ront airbags, driver's knee protection airbag, side impact airbags, head-protecting curtain airbag, seatbelts pre-tensioners and load-limiters on the front seats, driver and passenger seatbelt reminder, three point ISOFIX anchorages on the rear outer seats and Anti-Lock Braking (ABS). In the 'large family car' category the Croma joins the BMW 3-series, Citroen C5, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Peugeot 407, Renault Laguna, Saab 9-3, Toyota Avensis, Volkswagen Passat and the Volvo S40, on 5-stars.